Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Move over Cracker Barrel copycats - this is my ultra ultra cheesy hash brown casserole and it started as an accident!

Ultra Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

This Ultra Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole was born from a mistake, but in the end it proved to be a good mistake. I had been trying to cook through my pantry and freezer to sort of spring clean out the old, so I can bring in the new. One thing that was taking up space and constantly falling out on me when I opened the freezer, was a one pound bag of frozen hash brown potatoes, so I decided to make a hash brown casserole as a side dish for supper one evening.

Since I didn't want to make a full 9 x 13 inch pan just for us, and I only had the one pound of hash brown potatoes anyway, my original intent was to cut the casserole in half from the holiday recipe. I went about putting everything together and then realized I had used some of the original measurements of ingredients, and not halved them, including the full two cups of the original amounts of cheese!

The result was a keeper. Rich, decadent, and just heavenly, and while you may not want to eat this side dish on a daily basis, it sure turned out mighty good and, in my opinion, worthy of the holidays and so, it's own spot here. Go ahead and double it for the holidays. It'll be completely decadent and delightful.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until soft, but not browned. Turn heat to low and stir in the soup, cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning, until well blended. Remove skillet from heat and add the shredded potatoes; mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings; turn out into prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Double this for the holidays for a 9 x 13 inch casserole.

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I think that you and I were on the same wave-length for our Easter side dishes! Cheesy potatoes! I love a darn good hash brown casserole and yours looks really good, Mary! I hope that you had a great Easter and thank you for stopping by to wish me one too! I'd be miffed to at the neighbors burning too much also! I just pray it doesn't freeze like it did 3 years ago in mid-April and all the peach trees froze!

This does sound like my Mother in Law's recipe she uses. Oddly she always leaves an ingredient or two out of it when I ask for the recipe. ha! I love that you put Slap your Moma into this dish. A girl after my own heart! Great post & wonderful blog.

Good morning. I just "met" you on a Tea Party for my Mother. I couldn't resist a "southern" blog as I'm originally from the south. Oh my, those potatoes look scrumptious. I'll be brewing up some sweet tea and spend more time with you.

I have not done the bread crumbs on the bottom before so can't answer to that one, but if you mean as a topping, absolutely! Just sprinkle them on top right out of the box, and if you like, either drizzle them with melted butter or mix the panko with some melted butter before topping. If you're talking about putting them on the bottom, let us know how that turns out!

I simply love Southern cooking, especially since both my parents are from the South. I was looking for a side dish that I could make tonight and found this one. Definitely a keeper! I am loving your site and adore your recipes! Have a wonderful New Year!

This is a great recipe. I use pepperjack cheese instead of cheddar. Add a little (I rarely measure them) red pepper flakes. It is also great with a pound of hot sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean) browned, drained and added to the mixture.

You like some spicy Jim!! Yeah, I actually use pepper jack instead of cheddar often, when I have it. I try to keep things a little milder on the website and let the readers bump it up to taste. Great suggestions though, thanks!!

This is a great recipe. I replace the cheddar with pepperjack cheese and add some red pepper flakes (I rarely measure them). Also great to add a pound of hot sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean) browned and drained to the mixture. Even though there is pork sausage in it, it is a great side dish to most meals. Really simple breakfast heated up later as well.

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You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. ~Julia Child

The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Oftentimes what makes a recipe southern, is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of geography - Southerners simply decide a particular food is southern, and that's that." ~Rick McDaniel, Food Historian

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